Life falls apart
by WaddlesThePenguin
Summary: 'Minerva screamed as her world completely fell apart. She turned to Michalis. "I will free her one day. I will kill anyone who stands against me, then I will kill you!" Michalis seemed genuinely hurt by Minerva's words, but still waved his hand for her to be taken away.' One-shot of Michalis' betrayal from Minerva's point of view. T for strong language.


**A.N: Hi! This is just a one-shot of how Michalis kills his own father to become king of Medon from Minerva's point of view. I'm following the story of Shadow Dragon and using the English names. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Maria was telling them about her healing lesson when he walked in.

The doors burst open as Michalis stormed into the throne room. He held his silver lance. Maria stood up from her chair to turn around and face her brother. Minerva's smile vanished. Michalis looked... _angry._

"Michalis?" King Osmond asked his son, concerned. Michalis did not reply. He just kept stalking towards them, like a predator.  
"Brother?" Minerva said, drawing Maria backwards. Michalis was close.  
"Michalis, I passed my healing exam today..." Maria whispered, the exciting news now unimportant.

Michalis faltered at this. He stopped, his grip on the lance loosened. Then he shook his head and told himself quietly, "I am _not_ weak!" With this he strode onwards.

Minerva was now scared. Something was definitely wrong. Did this have something to do with the argument between Michalis and their father? The previous week, Michalis had called Osmond a weak ruler. Osmond had denied his insults, claiming he is just sensible, calm as always. The spat had upset Maria and Minerva greatly but they thought it would pass.  
"Father?" Minerva asked desperately, hoping this was a joke, that they would stand up, laugh and admit that they had made up. Or that he knew where the strange behaviour had come from. Michalis was now directly in front of the throne. King Osmond still looked him in the eyes, worried.

"Son, I-" He began.

Maria let out a wail as Michalis stuck his spear through Osmond's chest. The old man still maintained eye contact as he said his final words. "Why?"

The King died and Maria sobbed, hugging her older sister. Minerva went numb. _What just happened? _Maria ran to her father, raising her staff and trying to pour her healing magic into him. Nothing happened. It was no use. The princess collapsed into a heap, burying her head in the robes of the dead king.

Anger grew inside Minerva. Rage boiling in her stomach, cutting through the pain and sadness. "What. Did. You. Do?" She screamed, running up to him. Michalis grabbed her arm and spun her around. Her brother, her _idol_, had just killed his own flesh and blood and he seemed unfazed by it.  
"I did what is best for Medon." He said coldly.  
"You _monster_!" Minerva growled, hurling herself at him again. He merely pushed her back again. Minerva regained her balance and spread her arms. "So are you going to kill _me _now? Eh? Go on then."  
Michalis looked shocked. "Why would I kill you, Minerva?"  
"Well you obviously have no problem with killing family!" Minerva countered.  
"That man is no linger family to me. He was not interested in Medon's well being. If we will ever stop being pushed around by Akaneia, we must ally ourselves with the strong." He retorted.  
"The strong? Who are you...?" Minerva asked. Then it sunk in. "No. You _didn't_!"

There was a flash of light and in place of king Osmond's body, a dark grey-skinned, shrivelled human sat on the throne of Medon.

"Poor child." The human rasped, laying a black hand on Maria's shoulder. The girl looked up and recoiled in terror. Gharnef, the Dark Pontifex, stood up and walked to Michalis. "Well done, _King_ Michalis." He rasped.  
"Where's our father's body, corpse-face?" Minerva growled, though she felt less confident than she sounded.  
Gharnef chuckled. "Ah, a feisty one. Yes, very interesting. As for your father's body, it is gone from existence."  
"What?" Minerva squeaked.  
"I absorbed it for energy. Suffice to say, he didn't have much." Gharnef cackled.  
"Go away!" Maria screamed charging the sorcerer. Before Minerva had time to call out, Gharnef had raised a hand and Maria was held by a claw of pure darkness. She cried out.  
"Maria!" Minerva yelled. She began to charge but her own guards held her back. Minerva started to panic. How would she get Maria down? She couldn't lose her as well.

"Put her down, Gharnef." Michalis said, distressed. Gharnef sighed and lowered Maria.  
"I do not see why you carry these emotional attachments, Michalis." He said.  
"I care about my sisters, I wish to see them unharmed." Michalis replied.  
"The older one troubles me." Gharnef said. "She will not fight for Medon without a little... _incentive_."  
"Incentive?" Michalis asked.  
"Yes. We will discuss this later, though." Gharnef said. "Right now, I have a job for Maria.

"She will be a peacekeeper between Medon and Doluna. By being kept safe and out of reach in Grust, she will protect her people, but be a constant reminder for Medon to stay in place."  
Michalis hesitated. But then nodded solemnly. Maria paled.  
"Michalis, no. Please." Maria begged. "I don't want to."  
Michalis took her by the shoulder. "I need you to be brave. You want to help your friends in Medon, right? This is the best way."  
"But-" Maria began.  
"Maria, just go. You'll be safe there." Minerva said numbly. She hoped she knew what she was doing. All she knew was that Maria had to be safe.  
"But I want to stay with you!" She protested.  
"Me too. But I promise as soon as I can, I'll rescue you and we'll never have to be apart ever again. I will _not_ let any harm come to you."  
Maria thought for a while, then nodded. "Alright. I'll wait for you."  
"Good, child." Gharnef chuckled. "Now, you go and pack. Be no more than five minutes!" Maria nodded vaguely and walked towards her chambers, but Minerva was picking up on something, and sorely regretting her convincing Maria to go.

"What have you just tricked her - and me - into, fiend?" Minerva snarled.  
"Gharnef?" Michalis asked.  
The dark mage cackled. "_Maria _is your incentive. If you do not comply with your orders, who knows what would happen to her?"

They were interrupted by a gasp. Maria stood by the door. Minerva then noticed that she had left her staff. She must have come back for it!  
"Minerva..." She said, starting towards her. But Gharnef clicked his fingers and two guards appeared from nowhere on either side of Maria, grabbing her.  
"Maria!" Minerva roared, fighting against the guards holding her back.  
"Take her to Castle Deil!" Gharnef commanded. "She is to remain there for as long as Princess Minerva stands! Go!"

Minerva screamed as her world completely fell apart. She turned to Michalis. "I will free her one day. I will kill anyone who stands against me, then I will kill _you_!" Michalis seemed genuinely hurt by Minerva's words, but still waved his hand for her to be taken away.  
"You bastard!" She yelled behind her at her brother, tears running freely down her face. "You _rat_!"

* * *

Minerva's guards threw her in a cell and walked out, locking the door. For once, Minerva had no fight left. How did your life fall apart in fifteen minutes? First, her father, then her brother, then Maria. She had lost three family members in a quarter of an hour.  
"Why?" She whispered to herself as she curled up into a ball. Tears soaked her face, and her voice was hoarse from screaming. Her muscles ached from fighting the guards. Minerva closed her eyes, let out a sob, and fell asleep from pure exhaustion.

* * *

Ice-cold water woke Minerva from her nightmares. "Up!" The guard barked.  
_Great. I'm a prisoner in my own castle_. Thought Minerva, standing up. "What do you want?"  
"You're going out to assist Medon's forces, like it or not. You will receive your orders from your new commander, Harmein. Get to the gate." The guard said, and when Minerva didn't move, he added a "Go on! Shake a leg!" Minerva walked out of the cell, barely containing her rage. Five guards surrounded her.  
_It looks like there won't be any escapades._ Minerva thought, even though there wouldn't have been anyways as her axe had been taken.

Her guards parted to allow three young women through. They were Minerva's Whitewings: Palla, Catria and Est. They were also escorted by guards, and were weaponless. They looked scared, and formed a line behind Minerva, Palla in the middle, Catria on the right and Est on the left.

They reached the castle courtyard and went to their mounts. Minerva found Hauteclere attached to her wyvern's saddlebag.  
"Commander." Palla said. "What is going on?" Minerva filled them in on the previous day's events and how she planned to rescue Maria, only stopping to answer questions. By the time the other soldiers were ready, the three sisters had told Minerva that they were to obey her and assist her in anything that was for Medon's greater good.

"Those were your commands?" Minerva asked, an idea growing.  
"Yes." Catria said.  
"Whoever gave _you_ those orders, just gave _me _chance to bend the rules, for Medon's greater good."  
"What?" Est said.  
"If we twist these orders, you've just been given permission to plot against Michalis."  
"That's brilliant!" Palla exclaimed, mounting her pegasus. "So what's our first move?"  
"We bide our time." Minerva said. "Maria is safe for now, and if I behave, we could lull Michalis into a false sense of security. Then, when the time is right, we break in, rescue Maria and shatter Michalis' world, just like how he shattered mine." The Whitewings nodded as the horn sounded, a signal for the troops to set off.

Before Minerva took to the skies, she looked back at her castle, her home, and vowed on her father's memory that she would return one day and get avenge the world Michalis had torn apart.

And she would.

Oh, she would.

* * *

**A.N: Hope you enjoyed it and sorry if I got something mega wrong. Bye!**


End file.
